I’m looking forward to an exciting winter with the Kalashnikov! Meanwhile, I’m wondering if Tony or anyone else can tell us anything about developments in the 6 N1c3 a6 7 Na3 lines. What prompted me to ask is that I had wrongly thought [u]7 …Be7[/u] was almost de rigueur these days, so I was really surprised to see the recent Nakamura–Radjabov game where Radjabov chose [u]7 …b5[/u] 8 Nd5 [u]Nge7[/u] 9 c4 Nd5 10 cd [u]Nd4!?[/u] (eventually drawing after 11 Bd3 g6 12 Nc2 Bg7 13 0-0 0-0). Black’s tenth isn’t given in the (now rather old and creaking?) Aagaard/Pinski book, except indirectly via the possible transpositions (1) 8 …Nge7 9 c4 Nd4 10 Be3 Nd5 11 cd g6,* and (2) 8 …Nf6 9 c4 Nd4 10 Be3 Nd5 11 cd [g6], both of which would reach the same position that could have been reached had Nakamura played 11 Be3 iso 11 Bd3. A&P suggest that 9 …Nd5 [u]10 Qd5[/u] (instead of 10 cd) Bd7 11 Be3 is a bit better for White. In the few games played in this line Black has done OK though – should we take it this is no real threat to Black?

I notice too that Radjabov has also tried 7 …b5 8 Nd5 [u]Nf6[/u] 9 c4 [u]b4!?[/u] (strangely also not in A&P though it isn’t new!), which in Topalov–Radjabov 2008 transposed, after 10 Nf6 (the pawn 'sac' 10 Nc2 Ne4 11 Qf3 Nc5 is no more than equal?) Qf6 11 Nc2 Qg6, to a position that could also be reached via 9 Nf6?! Qf6 10 c4 b4!? (10 …Qg6!) 11 Nc2 Qg6!? (A&P give only 11 …Bb7 12 Bd3, +/=). Is this also a valid way for Black, or has White a way to advantage?


* It’s of no theoretical significance, but A&P condemn [u]11 …Be7[/u] here citing a line they attribute to Kotrionas, 12 Bd3 0-0 13 0-0 Bd7 14 Qd2 Rc8 15 f4 Qb6 (surely ?!) 16 Nc2 Bf6 17 Nd4 (surely ?) ed? 18 Bf2 with a clear advantage. But instead of 17 …ed?, 17 …ef! is immediately equal!

Clearly not meeting 7 Na3!? in the Sveshnikov with a6 then? Because its the same position if you do

That whole line is somehow between both openings.

Here is my first encounter with the Kalash
[Event "Champions League 2007 Fast Track Group 2"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2007.09.01"]
[Round "?.4"]
[White "LePage, Claude"]
[Black "Malmström, Jan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2161"]
[BlackElo "1959"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[WhiteTeam "LES TONTONS FLINGUEURS"]
[BlackTeam "Knightriders"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. c4 a6 7. N5c3 Be7 8. Nd5
Nf6 9. Nbc3 O-O 10. Be3 Nxd5 11. Nxd5 Bg5 12. Bb6 Qd7 13. Be2 f5 14. O-O fxe4
15. Nc3 Qf5 16. Qxd6 Be6 17. h3 Be7 18. Qd1 Qg6 19. Bh5 Qg5 20. Nxe4 Qf4 21.
Qe2 Nd4 22. Bxd4 exd4 23. Rad1 Qe5 24. Rfe1 Bh4 25. b3 Rad8 26. Ng3 Qxe2 27.
Bxe2 Rd7 28. Bf3 Bf7 29. Bg4 Rdd8 30. Nf5 Bf6 31. c5 Rd5 32. Ne7+ Bxe7 33. Rxe7
Rxc5 34. Rxd4 Rc1+ 35. Kh2 Rc2 36. f4 b5 37. Bf3 Re8 38. Ra7 Rxa2 39. f5 Kf8
40. Rdd7 Bxb3 41. Rxg7 Rd2 42. Rxh7 Bg8 43. Rh8 Red8 44. f6 R8d7 45. Rxa6 R2d6
46. Ra5 Kf7 47. Rxb5 Rxf6 48. Rb8 Rxf3 49. gxf3 Rd2+ 50. Kg3 1-0

I did not intend to offence anyone ; if I hurted you , I apologize , but I don't believe in whatsoever superiority  of  the Kalash over the regular Svesh
My play is not perfect , and I am not an avatar of Rogozenko ,just an ICCF player of2350 Elo
But I think that postponing Nf6 has some drawbacks vs the regular Svesh , and  , since you are surely a GM , I want to learn the advantages of the Kalash
Friendly Yours
Claude LePage
formerly known in this forum under the id of photophore
( but I changed my PC....)

I met the Kalashnikov 3 times : twice I won and the third the game is not finished but I am winning
So , where is the problem for White?
Notice that , as Black , I play the Sveshnikov , so I am quite familiar with this opening and I have excellent re

Now scheduled for November (December in US), according to Everyman's website. 

Just throwing it out there, ive played the Kalashnikov a few times and im suprised this trick isn't more well known.

So Obviously there was a recent game Nakamura-Radjabov (7...b5 8.Nd5 Nge7) game which seemed ok for Black, but in all seriousness instead of 9.c4(!) 9.Bg5 i actually think is a mistake! Because of......

9...f6! Then:

- 10.Be3 is prob best but white just loses a tempo

- 10.Qh5+? g6!! 11.Nxf6+ Kf7 12. Qh4 (12.Qf3 Nd4) h6 13.Nd5 hxg5! 14.Qxh8 Qa5+ 15.c3 (15.b4 Nxb4 16.Qf6+ Ke8-+) Bg7 16.Qh7 Be6 and Black has a sizeable advantage since White can't stop the coming ...Rh8

Maybe the line isnt good because of 9.c4 but Radjabov appeared to get good counterplay. In any case, i think this is a good opening trap, it certainly worked on my 2200 rated opponent when i was 14 (1600 fide), made me $500 as well!